Thomas Ian Griffith
Encyclopedia
Thomas Ian Griffith is an American
actor
and martial artist who has starred in films and on television.
, the son of Mary Ann (née O'Neil), who worked at a dance studio, and Thomas Joseph Griffith. He attended the College of the Holy Cross
in Worcester, Massachusetts
.
, in which he played Terry Silver, a toxic-waste dumper and rival martial arts expert who influences Daniel LaRusso against his friend and mentor, Mr. Miyagi. In 1996, Griffith starred in the film Hollow Point alongside Tia Carrere
, as DEA agent Max Parish and FBI agent Diane Norwood respectively. In the film, they try to find a money launderer who hired a hitman (Donald Sutherland
) to kill Diane's FBI partner in revenge for a wedding gone wrong, which resulted in the death of a Russian mobster's son.
Griffith also appeared in the 1994 film Crackerjack
which was given a three star rating from the DVD & Video Guide 2005 with a statement that the movie "would have been even better if star Thomas Ian Griffith were a better actor." He also appeared in the 1998 John Carpenter
film Vampires
as head vampire Jan Valek, and in the 2002 film xXx
, in which he portrayed Agent Jim McGrath.
His first TV role was on the soap opera
Another World
, as Catlin Ewing, who he played from 1984 to 1987. In 1999, he starred in the TV movie Secret of Giving with Reba McEntire
; earlier in 1999, he had appeared in Reba's video for the song "What Do You Say". He also starred as Rock Hudson
in a 1990 TV movie about Hudson's life. He has made guest appearances on a number of television shows, including In the Heat of the Night
, Wiseguy
, and One Tree Hill
.
costar Mary Page Keller
, and they have two children together. He holds black belts in Kenpo Karate
and Tae Kwon Do.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
and martial artist who has starred in films and on television.
Early life
Griffith was born in Hartford, ConnecticutHartford, Connecticut
Hartford is the capital of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960, it is the second most populous city on New England's largest river, the Connecticut River. As of the 2010 Census, Hartford's population was 124,775, making...
, the son of Mary Ann (née O'Neil), who worked at a dance studio, and Thomas Joseph Griffith. He attended the College of the Holy Cross
College of the Holy Cross
The College of the Holy Cross is an undergraduate Roman Catholic liberal arts college located in Worcester, Massachusetts, USA...
in Worcester, Massachusetts
Worcester, Massachusetts
Worcester is a city and the county seat of Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. Named after Worcester, England, as of the 2010 Census the city's population is 181,045, making it the second largest city in New England after Boston....
.
Career
Griffith's first feature film was the 1989 sequel The Karate Kid, Part IIIThe Karate Kid, Part III
The Karate Kid, Part III is a 1989 martial arts film, and the second sequel to the hit motion picture The Karate Kid . The film stars Ralph Macchio, Noriyuki "Pat" Morita, Thomas Ian Griffith, Robyn Lively, and Martin Kove. Like the first two films, it was directed by John G. Avildsen and written...
, in which he played Terry Silver, a toxic-waste dumper and rival martial arts expert who influences Daniel LaRusso against his friend and mentor, Mr. Miyagi. In 1996, Griffith starred in the film Hollow Point alongside Tia Carrere
Tia Carrere
Tia Carrere is an American actress, model, voice artist, and singer, perhaps most widely known for her role as Cassandra Wong in the feature films Wayne's World and Wayne's World 2, Queen Tyr'ahnee in Duck Dodgers, and as Sydney Fox in the TV series Relic Hunter.-Early life:Carrere was born in...
, as DEA agent Max Parish and FBI agent Diane Norwood respectively. In the film, they try to find a money launderer who hired a hitman (Donald Sutherland
Donald Sutherland
Donald McNichol Sutherland, OC is a Canadian actor with a film career spanning nearly 50 years. Some of Sutherland's more notable movie roles included offbeat warriors in such war movies as The Dirty Dozen, , MASH , and Kelly's Heroes , as well as in such popular films as Klute, Invasion of the...
) to kill Diane's FBI partner in revenge for a wedding gone wrong, which resulted in the death of a Russian mobster's son.
Griffith also appeared in the 1994 film Crackerjack
Crackerjack (1994 film)
Crackerjack is a 1994 adventure film directed by Michael Mazo and starring Thomas Ian Griffith, Nastassja Kinski and Christopher Plummer.-Plot:...
which was given a three star rating from the DVD & Video Guide 2005 with a statement that the movie "would have been even better if star Thomas Ian Griffith were a better actor." He also appeared in the 1998 John Carpenter
John Carpenter
John Howard Carpenter is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, editor, composer, and occasional actor. Although Carpenter has worked in numerous film genres in his four-decade career, his name is most commonly associated with horror and science fiction.- Early life :Carpenter was born...
film Vampires
Vampires (film)
Vampires is a western-horror film directed by John Carpenter in 1998. Adapted from the novel Vampire$ by John Steakley, the film stars James Woods as Jack Crow, leader of a Catholic Church-sanctioned team of vampire hunters...
as head vampire Jan Valek, and in the 2002 film xXx
XXX
XXX may refer to:* The number 30 in Roman numerals* The year 30 AD* Games of the XXX Olympiad, the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in London, England* Super Bowl XXX, held on January 28, 1996* A mark indicating "extra strong"* Alcoholic beverages...
, in which he portrayed Agent Jim McGrath.
His first TV role was on the soap opera
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
Another World
Another World (TV series)
Another World is an American television soap opera that ran on NBC from May 4, 1964 to June 25, 1999. It ran for a total of 35 years. It was created by Irna Phillips along with William J...
, as Catlin Ewing, who he played from 1984 to 1987. In 1999, he starred in the TV movie Secret of Giving with Reba McEntire
Reba McEntire
Reba Nell McEntire is an American country music artist and actress. She began her career in the music industry as a high school student singing in the Kiowa High School band , on local radio shows with her siblings, and at rodeos. As a solo act, she was invited to perform at a rodeo in Oklahoma...
; earlier in 1999, he had appeared in Reba's video for the song "What Do You Say". He also starred as Rock Hudson
Rock Hudson
Roy Harold Scherer, Jr., later Roy Harold Fitzgerald , known professionally as Rock Hudson, was an American film and television actor, recognized as a romantic leading man during the 1950s and 1960s, most notably in several romantic comedies with Doris Day.Hudson was voted "Star of the Year",...
in a 1990 TV movie about Hudson's life. He has made guest appearances on a number of television shows, including In the Heat of the Night
In the Heat of the Night (TV series)
In the Heat of the Night is a television series based on the motion picture and novel of the same name. It was broadcast on NBC from 1988 until 1992, and then on CBS until 1995...
, Wiseguy
Wiseguy
Wiseguy is an American crime drama series that aired on CBS from September 16, 1987 to December 8, 1990 for a total of four seasons. Starring Ken Wahl, the series was produced by Stephen J...
, and One Tree Hill
One Tree Hill (TV series)
One Tree Hill is an American television drama created by Mark Schwahn, which premiered on September 23, 2003, on The WB Television Network. After its third season, The WB merged with UPN to form The CW Television Network, and, since September 27, 2006, the network has been the official broadcaster...
.
Personal life
Griffith is married to his former Another WorldAnother World (TV series)
Another World is an American television soap opera that ran on NBC from May 4, 1964 to June 25, 1999. It ran for a total of 35 years. It was created by Irna Phillips along with William J...
costar Mary Page Keller
Mary Page Keller
Mary Page Keller is an American actress known for roles on both daytime and primetime television.-Career:On daytime, Keller played the role of Amanda Kirkland on Ryan's Hope and the role of Sally Frame on Another World...
, and they have two children together. He holds black belts in Kenpo Karate
Kenpo
is the name of several Japanese martial arts. The word kenpō is a Japanese translation of the Chinese word "quánfǎ. This term is often informally transliterated as "kempo", as a result of applying Traditional Hepburn romanization, but failing to use a macron to indicate the long vowel...
and Tae Kwon Do.
Filmography
- One Tree HillOne Tree Hill (TV series)One Tree Hill is an American television drama created by Mark Schwahn, which premiered on September 23, 2003, on The WB Television Network. After its third season, The WB merged with UPN to form The CW Television Network, and, since September 27, 2006, the network has been the official broadcaster...
(2004) - Timecop 2: The Berlin DecisionTimecop 2: The Berlin DecisionTimecop 2: The Berlin Decision is a 2003 direct to video sequel of the 1994 movie Timecop. The movie stars Jason Scott Lee and Thomas Ian Griffith...
(2003) - xXxXXXXXX may refer to:* The number 30 in Roman numerals* The year 30 AD* Games of the XXX Olympiad, the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in London, England* Super Bowl XXX, held on January 28, 1996* A mark indicating "extra strong"* Alcoholic beverages...
(2002) - Black Point (2001)
- The Sea Wolf (2001)
- Beyond the Prairie, Part 2: the True Story of Laura Ingalls Wilder (2000)
- For the CauseFor the Cause (film)For the Cause is a 2000 science-fiction fantasy directed by David Douglas and Tim Douglas.-Synopsis:...
(2000) - Avalanche (1999)
- Secret of Giving (1999) (TV)
- VampiresVampires (film)Vampires is a western-horror film directed by John Carpenter in 1998. Adapted from the novel Vampire$ by John Steakley, the film stars James Woods as Jack Crow, leader of a Catholic Church-sanctioned team of vampire hunters...
(1998) - Behind Enemy Lines (1997)
- Kull the ConquerorKull the ConquerorKull the Conqueror is a 1997 fantasy film about the Robert E. Howard character Kull starring Kevin Sorbo. It is a movie adaptation of Howard's Conan novel The Hour of the Dragon, with the protagonist changed to the author's other barbarian hero Kull...
(1997) - Hollow Point (1996)
- CrackerjackCrackerjack (1994 film)Crackerjack is a 1994 adventure film directed by Michael Mazo and starring Thomas Ian Griffith, Nastassja Kinski and Christopher Plummer.-Plot:...
(1994) - Beyond Forgiveness (1994)
- Excessive ForceExcessive Force (film)Excessive Force is a 1993 action film, written by Thomas Ian Griffith and Burt Young, directed by Jon Hess.-Plot:Terry and his two partners from the Chicago special investigation police squad are engaged in war against Chicago's mafia boss, DiMarco . Despite many attempts to jail him, he always...
(1993) - Ulterior Motives (1992)
- Rock Hudson (1990) (TV)
- The Karate Kid, Part IIIThe Karate Kid, Part IIIThe Karate Kid, Part III is a 1989 martial arts film, and the second sequel to the hit motion picture The Karate Kid . The film stars Ralph Macchio, Noriyuki "Pat" Morita, Thomas Ian Griffith, Robyn Lively, and Martin Kove. Like the first two films, it was directed by John G. Avildsen and written...
(1989)